Arthritis

Arthritis literally means 'inflammation of the joints'. The term has been derived from two Greek words, 'athron' (which means joints) and 'itis' (which means inflammation). A chronic disease, arthritis can be classified into various types, two being the most commonly found - osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The former usually occurs in the older people, when their joints become week. The latter is a serious disease, which affects not only the joints of the fingers, wrists, hips, knees, and feet, but also the muscles, tendons and other tissues of the body. A few home remedies have been found to be helpful in curing arthritis

• Pain and stiffness in the joints
• Anemia
• Colitis
• Constipation
• Deformed hands and feet
• Inflammation of muscles, ligaments and cartilage
• Painful movement of the joints, especially in cold, windy and damp weather
• Weak digestion
• Overeating
• Very little physical activity
• Fatigue or lack of energy
• Inflammation, indicated by joint swelling, stiffness, redness and/or warmth
• Intermittent fever
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Blotchy rash on the arms and legs

• Hormonal imbalance
• Emotional stress
• Structural changes in the articular cartilage of joints
• Heredity factors
• Physical exertion
• Infection
• Severe fright
• Shock
• Injury
• Obesity
• Ageing
• Previous physical injuries
• Occupational hazards, such as those experienced by assembly line workers and heavy construction
• High-level sports

• An effective way to get relief from the pain of arthritis is to massage the affected area with warm olive oil.
• Mix olive oil with diluted garlic, juniper, lavender, sage, rosemary, thyme, or sassafras oil. The mix should be in the ratio of 1:10, where 10 represent the parts of olive oil. Massage this mixture over the affected area.
• Steam baths and body massage have also proved worthwhile for people suffering from arthritis.
• The person suffering from arthritis should consume food items rich in calcium, zinc and vitamin C.
• An efficient home remedy for arthritis would be to have fresh potato juice in the morning. The juice should comprise of 50 percent potato juice and 50 percent water.
• The simplest home remedy for arthritis would be to rub the affected area with warm vinegar, just before sleeping.
• Mix 10 grams of camphor with 200 grams of mustard oil. Keep this mixture in a tightly corked bottle and expose it to sunlight, daily, until the camphor melts. Regularly massage the affected area with this mixture.
• Grind four peeled pieces of garlic, along with two grams of Sprague. Dip this mixture in 30 grams mustard oil and heat, on low flame, for 1-2 minutes. Massage the aching joints with this oil, after cooling it down, to get relief from pain and swelling.
• Rheumatoid arthritis can be cured by consuming a few grams of fresh or powdered ginger per day, along with water.
• Add 4 tbsp of Epsom salt to your bath, filled with warm water. Bathing with this water will help reduce inflammation and stiffness of joints.
• Massaging with castor oil also reduces the pains, thereby providing relief from arthritis.
• People facing arthritis problem should relax in a tub of warm water, to which a cupful of sea salt has been added.
• Eggplant is also helpful in curing arthritis. Bake one or two eggplant, mash them and fry the resultant pulp in castor oil. Add spices, such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic and salt and cook for a few seconds. Have this, once a day, for about two to three months.